1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to gaff hooks, and more particularly to a swivel-type gaff hook in which both swiveling and axial movement of a hook part relative to a handle is controlled through the action of a bias mechanism.
2. Description Of The Known Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,404,117, issued Jan. 17, 1922, discloses a gaff with a hook capable of swiveling relative to a handle only when a gaffed fish pulls the hook axially out from the handle against the force of a spring. When the fish is removed from the hook, the hook is retracted within the handle by the spring and locked against rotation relative to the handle. Specifically, a toothed conical member fixed to the hook shank meshes with correspondingly tapered teeth formed at the end of the handle from which the hook projects. Since the spring allows the hook to slide out of locking engagement with the handle under the weight of the gaffed fish, the hook is allowed to swivel freely with movements of the fish, according to the patent.
A problem arises, however, when the gaff hook is first applied to a large fish thrashing in the water since jerking movements can deflect the pointed end of the hook away from the fish and, thus, prevent gaffing if the hook is pulled away from the handle a sufficient distance to allow the hook to swivel freely. The only way the hook of the patent can be prevented from assuming a free-swiveling position is to increase the bias force of the spring; but such would limit use of the disclosed hook only to fish of correspondingly greater weight. Further, if the spring force is sufficient to maintain locking engagement between the handle and the hook, twisting or lateral movements of a gaffed fish will tend to jerk the handle out of a fisherman's hands unless he is also pulling on the handle with enough force to counter the action of the spring.
A flying gaff is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,502 issued Nov. 16, 1976. The gaff has a so-called wing member mounted for free rotational movement about a hook shaft by way of a sleeve. The wing member has an opening at a free end for affixing a retrieving line, and a handle is provided which is capable of receiving a tang on the shaft to lock the handle against relative rotation. After a fish is gaffed, the handle is detached and the fish is retrieved by way of the retrieving line, according to the patent. The provision of a handle which must be detached from a hook and laid aside while retrieval of a gaffed fish is performed with a line fixed to a wing member may, however, tend to complicate the whole gaffing procedure.
Conventional gaff hooks are intended for gaffing of relatively large fish such as shark, tuna, and the like (i.e., fish of about fifty pounds or more). Holding onto a good size fish usually requires two strong men. Lateral twisting, turning, and thrashing action imparted to the hook by a gaffed fish either before or after being brought on board a fishing vessel, makes holding onto the handle or shaft of the gaff hook difficult unless swiveling movement of the hook relative to the handle is enabled. Yet, as mentioned, it is essential that the hook remain fixed against rotation relative to the handle when the hook is first applied to the fish, or else the hook will swing away from the fish making gaffing impossible as the fish moves about.